


Plus-One

by afewreelthoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 15:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18875971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewreelthoughts/pseuds/afewreelthoughts
Summary: “Did you just invite me here to annoy your family?”“What, why would I do that?” Renly leaned against the bar and waved to someone across the restaurant.Oberyn brought his lips to Renly’s ear. “Because I know you.”





	Plus-One

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing and make no money from this. Everything belongs to George R.R. Martin.

“Did you just invite me here to annoy your family?”

“What, why would I do that?” Renly leaned against the bar and waved to someone across the restaurant.

Oberyn brought his lips to Renly’s ear. “Because I know you.”

“All I’m looking forward to is a nice meal and some champagne.” He squeezed Oberyn’s hand.

“If you bring that to the table, Joffrey will want some, too.”

Renly rolled his eyes and drank from his flute of champagne. “Joffrey’s own father and at least one of his other uncles are already plastered, and it’s his _special day,_ so he’s probably already bribed Cersei who will have already bribed our server.”

Oberyn chuckled. “Family events are different back home.”

“All of Dorne has healthier family dynamics than the Baratheons.”

“Absolutely,” Oberyn said, tugging on his hand. “Come on, let’s go back to the table.”

They were sitting next to Robert, at the head of the table, and across from Cersei and Joffrey respectively. Oberyn grinned at them. “Thank you so much for inviting me,” he said.

Cersei smiled a thin, sharp smile. “I didn’t invite you, Renly did.” She turned her eyes on him. “I wasn’t aware that my son’s high-school graduation was a ‘plus one’ kind of event.”

Renly shrugged. “The more the merrier, right?”

“I’ll pay for myself,” Oberyn said.

“Oh money is never a problem for us,” Cersei said, chill as the ice clinking in her water glass.

“The school buildings looked beautiful,” Oberyn said, half to Joffrey, half to the table at large.

“King’s Landing Preparatory Academy is the best school in the city,” Joffrey said. “Every man in my family has gone there.”

“Really? Even Renly? He hasn’t told me much about his school days.”

“Yes, even me.”

Oberyn nudged him with his shoulder. “Did you graduate with honors, like your nephew?”

Robert laughed, and Joffrey laughed with him.

“Renly? That’s funny.”

“Don’t be mean, Joff,” Tyrion said from Renly’s other side.

“It’s fine,” Renly said. “I can take a joke.”

Joffrey smirked. He tore a dinner roll open with his teeth. 

When Oberyn first arrived, the only people at the table were Jaime, and his niece and nephew, Myrcella and Tommen. The girl had her arms wrapped around her little brother’s shoulders, as he wiped at his nose. 

“Joffrey’s a monster!” Tommen cried. “I know he’s in high school, and they’re all monsters, but he’s awful.”

Oberyn had retreated to the bar to wait for Renly, knowing that as much as he wanted to know even more of this family’s secrets, eavesdropping on children wasn’t the way to do it. 

Oberyn watched the Lannister portions of the table carefully, as the soups and salads arrived, were eaten, and replaced by the main course. 

Cersei looked down at them with narrow eyes, and Renly moved his chair closer to Oberyn’s, so close their legs pressed against each other. Renly was usually so hesitant about showing any public affection that Oberyn could not help but be suspicious. 

“I’m going to major in international affairs,” Joffrey was saying, and then, with a quick look at Oberyn, “maybe a minor in Dornish studies? We need to fix whatever’s going on down there?”

It was bait, and it hooked in Oberyn’s mind. 

 _What do you need to fix?_  he wanted to ask.  _What’s wrong with Dorne that isn’t wrong up here?_

If this were a conversation with any adult, he would take that bait, and enjoy every second of destroying the person in question with their own preconceived notions of what Dorne “was like.” 

But Joffrey was a child, and privileged besides, so much so that it might be impossible to make him believe that he could be wrong; and more importantly it wasn’t worth it. As much as Renly might like for him to start a fight, that wasn’t why he was here, why he’d accepted the invitation to come in the first place. 

“Not every college has a good program in Dornish studies. If you tell me who your professors would be, I could tell you if they’re recommended?” 

Joffrey narrowed his eyes. 

“Mom, please, it’s my day!” 

“You can have a glass when we get home.”

He patted Renly’s thigh. “I’ll be back in a second,” he whispered. 

He really only had to take a p**s, but he wasn’t surprised when Renly, a minute later, followed him to the men’s room, which was empty but for the two of them.

Oberyn was washing his hands when Renly peeked inside the stalls. He grinned. 

“So, what do you want to do? How long do you think we could spend before they think we’re f**king in here?”

Oberyn dried his hands on a cloth towel. He admired the class about this place. “Let’s go back to our seats. This dinner isn’t as bad as you swore it would be.”

“Yeah, and we could make it better.” Renly grabbed the lapels of his coat.

Oberyn rubbed his shoulders. “Maybe later tonight?” 

Renly frowned and let go of him. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so well behaved?”

“Is that what you wanted from me? An excuse to be behave poorly today?”

Renly crossed his arms. “No.”

“Don’t use me as your exotic excuse to break the rules. You like to stir the shIt just as much as I do,” Oberyn said. 

“So let’s get into trouble. Right now.”

“Do you just want attention because Joffrey is getting attention?”

Renly’s jaw dropped, and he looked more childish than he ever had. “Just to get attention? Do you think that’s why I want to f**k you?”

Oberyn shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t have you figured out yet.” 

“I’m not jealous of Joffrey,” he said. “That awful kid is finally leaving. I’m happy for him!”

Oberyn rubbed his shoulders again. “You’re important, too, you know, even if your family doesn’t acknowledge it.” 

Renly rolled his eyes. 

“You don’t believe me.”

“You’re just saying that.”

Oberyn kissed him on the forehead. “Let’s go back out there, okay? We’ll be on our best behavior, and then we’ll leave early to go be on our worst?”

Renly only gave him half of a smile. “Okay.” 

Oberyn took his hand, and didn’t let go of it the entire night. 

 


End file.
